Loop & Scoop

I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to do a wee write up of churros & ice cream bar, Loop & Scoop.

I guess it is because it never feels like a complete dining experience – but of course it never will, because I am only ever going to be there for dessert. So I figured it was time to get my butt into gear and do a review about them.

Now this review won’t be based on a one off experience, since I have now tried literally everything on the menu I thought that I would do a write up on my favourite picks. I would like to point out tho that there is nothing I’ve had there that I didn’t think was brilliant. Well other than the peanut butter stuffed churros which frankly are boggin’ – but that is a personal taste thing.

So let’s start at the beginning – Located on Great Western Road, Loop & Scoop sits like a bright sparkling beacon for dessert lovers on one of the busiest streets in the city. The large glass front allows natural day light to flood into the modern, clean, bright ice cream parlour. There is seating for I would say maybe 70-80 people, with the seating down stairs and a good sized mezzanine level, however most nights you will still struggle to find a table because it is always heaving.

The staff, now this is a bit of a sticky one. The staff are all absolutely brilliant, they are super nice and helpful, and once you get your order in food come out pretty quickly. But boy the queue is soooo slow. I worry about how long the queue is going to be come the summer months, given that the length of queuing time at the moment on an averagely busy winter night is about 10 minutes.

Okay let’s talk about the most important part – the food.

Calvin, the mega lovely owner of Loop & Scoop, who I like to think of as the Willy Wonka of churros, has created a brilliantly fun and tempting selection of churro and ice cream options to choose from.

First off let’s talk about the incredible ice cream which is made by hand on site daily by Calvin. This is some of the freshest and most deliciously creamy ice cream you will find anywhere in the city…so even if you are not a fan of churros it is still 100% worth a visit. On any given day there are 12 different flavours on offer – ranging from nutella, to bubblegum, to scottish tablet, to banoffee. The options change daily, and you never know what you are going to get before you walk through the door. There are also regular ‘special’ flavours for Easter, Halloween, Christmas etc. As a side note I don’t think I have ever seen vanilla…it’s just not a vanilla kinda place.

So churros – I can not tell you how much I absolutely AD-ORE churros, so when I found out about Loop & Scoop opening so close to my pad it is safe to say I was cock-a-hoop. And thankfully they live up to such excitement.

Generally I always find the churros golden and crunchy on the outside, and sweet and slightly doughy inside. You can have your churros plain, or rolled in regular sugar or my personal favourite cinnamon sugar.

Now these churros come in a variety of forms, naturally there is the signature Loop & Scoop – a giant loop of churro covered in melted chocolate and then rolled in ‘stuff’ like cookie crumb, which is served with 2 scoops of the ice cream flavour of your choice. Now I have to be honest I am not a massive fan of this. I think it is delicious but it is just too messy for me….I hate having sticky hands.

Instead I prefer something a little more contained and manageable – I am a big fan of the Churro Cup. Which is exactly what you think it is – a cup made of churro with a scoop of ice cream inside. I find these are a bit more doughy inside which I like. Plus as the ice cream melts the churro becomes just a touch softer…again something I like.

I also really enjoy the Churro Oyster….a through back to the ice cream van favourite, in the form of two discs of churro and a dollop of ice cream in the middle. It’s simple, tasty and as far as I am concerned a real winner

Of course this is only the very smallest look at their menu where you will find also find classic dipping churros and stuffed churros, that you can have with nutella, melted chocolate, biscoff, caramel or peanut butter. There are chopped churros, which I love, you can enjoy these drowning in melted milk or white chocolate. And lets not forget you can also just have some of the most delicious ice cream in the city or a thick lush milkshake.

Pricewise, because you pay at the counter when you order I never really see a bill I just hand over my card without really thinking about it. The Churro cup and Oyster are both £4.50, which I think is a totally fair and reasonable price for artisan ice cream that’s made fresh daily, and churros cooked to order…it’s not cheap but I have never once questioned the value for money. The signature loop and scoop is £6.25, but I actually think this is pretty close to a sharing dessert it’s so big. I have no problem with the pricing, because the desserts are excellent.

All in All, I love Loop & Scoop – I must have been here easily 20 times since it opened last October…which you will know if you follow me on Insta, because I am forever posting pics there. The staff are lovely, the surroundings are comfortable and the food is dreamy. I am a MASSIVE fan.